germ cells
Egg and sperm
Germ cells are the reproductive cells—eggs and sperm—that combine to form offspring.
Unlike ordinary body cells, germ cells carry only half the genetic material, which merges during fertilization to create a complete set.
The term distinguishes these cells from somatic cells, which make up the rest of the body and don't pass genes to the next generation.
- oocytesImmature female reproductive cells
- gametesReproductive cells for fusion
- spermatogenesisMale gamete formation
- haploidSingle chromosome complement
- germlineHereditary cellular lineage
meiosis · ova · spermatozoa · primordial · sex cells · birds and bees · fertilization · in vitro fertilization · genetic inheritance · offspring · next generation · reproductive · biological clock · lineage · family line · seed · heredity · conception
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